Here is a link to the English text of Laudato Si – the Pope’s letter on Care for Our Common Home

Chapter 3: The human roots of the ecological crisis.

Although science and technology can produce important means of improving the quality of human life they also  given those with the knowledge, and especially the economic resources to use them, an impressive dominance over the whole of humanity and the entire world. Francis says we are enthralled with a technocratic paradigm, which promises unlimited growth. But this paradigm “is based on the lie that there is an infinite supply of the earth’s goods, and this leads o the planet being squeezed dry beyond every limit.” Those supporting this paradigm show “no interest in  more balanced levels of production, a better distribution of wealth, concern for the environment and the rights of future generations. Their behaviour shows that for them maximizing profits is enough.”

Chapter 4: Integral ecology.

Recognizing the reasons why a given area is polluted requires a study of the workings of society, its economy, its behaviour, and the way it grasps reality. We are not faced with two separate crises, one environmental and the other social, but rather with one complex crisis that is both social and environmental. Strategies for a solution demand an integrated approach to combating poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded, and at the same time protecting nature.

In Chapter 5. Lines of approach and action.

What is to be done? Pope Francis calls for dialogue on environmental policy in the international, national and local communities. This dialogue must include transparent decision-making so that the politics serve human fulfilment and not just economic interests. It also involves dialogue between religions and science working together for the common good.